Touring the National Museum with John Silva

It's just of late that I've actually become determined to resurrect this blog. So I'm backed up with a number of entries that I've been meaning to post. Here's one of them -- the National Museum Tour that we went to from more than a month ago. That was in February 13, to be exact. Here goes:

Having lived here in the Philippines for six years now, it's embarrassing to admit that I haven't been to the National Museum until just recently. In fact, if my husband hadn't suprised me with this tour, I'm not entirely sure how long it would take before I'd think of going there. The National Museum just haven't gotten enough exposure and I wasn't even sure of their hours of operation, or for that matter, how to find out about them and get more information.

My husband just happened to come across a blog that talked about a tour that was offered there and decided to try it because of the awesome reviews. He booked us by getting in touch with John Silva himself at 0926 729 9029. You can also email him at jsilva79@mac.com. The tour was on a Saturday from 10 am to 1 pm. You get to tour two buildings. It's collectively called the National Museum. But to be specific, they're the Museum of the Filipino People and National Gallery of Art. The 800 pesos that you pay for the tour includes the entrance fee to the two buildings. So really, after the tour, you can choose to stay and see the other galleries and collections that were not covered in the tour. There's really a lot to see in both buildings. And as John Silva said, there are a million artifacts which would probably take a whole week to peruse. From my estimate, I think the tour only covered about 30% or 40% of the whole collection?

Nonetheless, 30% of the collection is still a LOT. We started with the Salvacion Lim (SLIM) Fashion exhibit and it was just absolutely impressive! Salvacion Lim was a brilliant couturier who was able to fuse Philippine fashion sensibilities and style along with the French, American, Malay, and even African influences! I found myself gasping in delight after seeing the wedding gowns that she made as well as these French-looking designs that could complement any female form or shape. How I wish she was still alive today so I could marvel at more of her creations.

I don't want to give it all away so I'll keep my descriptions brief. In fact, I'll talk about some of the highlights instead. Apart from the SLIM exhibit, I really liked the San Diego galleon and how neatly everything was displayed. A lot of thought was put into it from the lighting to the way everything was arranged and grouped together. We also got to see the most expensive porcelain plate here in the Philippines. John Silva said that it would have cost thousands of dollars to pay for its insurance alone. He said it won't be on display for very long because of this very reason. Hopefully you'll still be able to see it though.

Another thing that was memorable to me was the exhibit called "War and Dissent." It documented the time between 1898 and 1915 during the American colonization of the Philippines. It's impossible not to have that strong sense of national pride after seeing this exhibit. There's the story about this courageous Filipina who wrote books and lobbied in the United States for our freedom. It caught the attention of many famous American authors and personalities who tried to help us too. And at the time, did you know that we're the only American colony which resisted and fought for our freedom? There's also that interesting bit about these African-American soldiers who came here to fight against us but ended up switching and joining the Filipinos to fight against the Americans instead??!?? John Silva has a lot of these interesting tidbits to share and anecdotes too -- some funny, some enlightening, and ALL very amusing! ;-)

Oh there's also that eerie exhibit which included statues and sculptures of deities and burial jars too. John Silva had a funny funny thing to share about that. My husband -- Jojo and I couldn't stop laughing! ;-)

Throughout, there are thousands of paintings to marvel at too. There are paintings by High School students in tribute to Cory Aquino. There are also paintings from many many years ago which depicted the struggles of the Filipino people as victims of imperialism. Then there are paintings too by our national artists. The highlight of this, of course, is the Spoliarium. There are other paintings by Juan Luna, Felix Hidalgo, Jose Rizal, Amorsolo, Bencab, and MANY others. Did you know that one of our national artists murdered his wife and mother-in-law? Oh my. John Silva had a lot of these trivia to share. It's very interesting to know the story behind some of the paintings. John Silva made it all very interesting. He's very knowledgeable and during the tour, there wasn't a dull moment with him.

Whatever your interest is -- whether it be plain history, archaeology, nauticals, architecture, art, etc., there is something for you to enjoy here at the National Museum. Having John Silva as a guide makes it all the more interesting though. It's very obvious that he's passionate about what he does. He's a true advocate of history and art appreciation -- not just for those who can afford it, but for everyone! As the senior consultant of the museum, he has deemed the entrance free for everyone on Sundays. He said that he's very particular about the upkeep and cleanliness of the museum not for anything else but for the very reason that he wants the streetchildren who come in to see a different way of life. He reasons that when they see and understand beauty and aesthetics, maybe they'll fight against what they have been exposed to while living in shanties. They'll know that things can be better and maybe begin to dream and aim for more. John Silva is truly admirable. I hope that you can come and join him in one of his tours so you'll see for yourself what I'm talking about.

The National Museum is very close to Binondo. While you're at it, why not make it a true day of culture and exploration? ;-) See culture in a museum and in the sights, smells, and action in the streets of Binondo? ;-) After the museum, Jojo and I headed for Binondo to have our lunch there. We ate at Ramon Lee Panciteria. Not a bad Chinese restaurant or should I say "institution"?!?? ;-) We rode a calesa and bought hopia and mochi balls at Eng Bee Tin store and Poland Bakery. We felt like tourists and it was a whole lot of fun! ;-)

For more information about the National Museum tour, visit John Silva's blog at http://johnsilva.blogspot.com/